Tag Archives: business idea

In a down economy, you’d think people would be staying away from salons, buying more drugstore boxes of hair dye and cleaning up DIY hair clippings from the bathroom sink, right? Conventional wisdom says women would forgo the salon to save money unless they needed a complicated bleach job or something. But according to recent pieces in the Wall Street Journal and Marie Claire, women are increasingly going to salons for simple things like washing, blow-drying, and styling. Like a mani/pedi or a lunchtime shot of tequila, visiting a blow-dry salon is a quick way to feel good—an affordable luxury along the lines of a new shade of nail polish, says the WSJ.

“The service once saved for special occasions has become affordable, accessible, and quick,” raves Marie Claire. At one blow-dry bar in West Hollywood, ‘dos are named for drinks, like the Mai Tai for beachy waves or the Manhattan for a straightened, smoothed-down mane. A blowout can run about $30 to $40 and last about 45 minutes. “If I’m having a bad day, I go. If I’m having a fat day, I go. If I’m traveling for work and I want to look and feel polished, I go,” one marketer told the Journal. As blow-dry salon cofounder Ali Webb told Marie Claire, “We’re not just selling blowdrys. We’re selling happiness and confidence.”

Hair salons generate about $34.9 billion in annual revenue, says market research firm IBISWorld. There are now several blow-dry chains across North America: five-year-old Blo, which has 16 locations and also offers extensions, and two-year-old Drybar, with 10 locations. There’s even Blowout, a blow-dry salon here in Portland that offers makeup too—and it’s only a hop, skip, and a jump away from the MasterPlans HQ. Guess where we’ll be going before work tomorrow?

Want to start a blow-dry salon in your area? MasterPlans can write and research a top-notch business plan for you in as little as five days. Get in touch!